Petals of a Black Rose
by s2LaDolceVita
Summary: Rima is an assassin femme fatale of the secret organization the "Black Rose". Her job is to put an end to the centuries old war for power in the vampire society. But what happens when she is ordered to murder Senri Shiki, a major playboy at Cross Academy?
1. Prologue

** Prologue**

Hey guys. This is not a one shot for once haha. But it is an AU story.  
Enjoy!  
__________________________________________________

In the vampire society, there are two types of vampires: there are the regular class C vampires, ones who have limited powers and are generally

viewed as "weak", and then there are the elite. We elite consist of the noble class B vampires as well as the pureblood class A vampires. We exercise

the most power of all the vampires and I guess you could say we are on top of the food chain. However, even among the elite, there rages a million

year old battle to usurp power, to control the vampire society. In order to race their way to the top, many have shed blood and clawed out eyes.

Indeed it's a vicious process and there are those that will stop at nothing to obtain it. And me? I fall into a different class. I, Rima Touya, am one of

the handful who choose to keep society together, protect it from crumbling into chaos. How do I do this you ask? Simple. I hunt down the opposers of

the monarchy and then.. **I take them out.**


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

I wiped the fresh blood trickling from the corner of my mouth, the crimson glow from my eyes slowly fading back into its usual azure blue. Another task well done. I zipped up my black stiletto boots, took one last look at my victim and smirked as I left a black petaled rose on top of him.  
"Too easy" I muttered to myself.

Then I jumped off the building, the wind whipping at my strawberry blonde hair and proceeded to head back to headquarters.

This is what I loved about New York. In the darkness, nothing could be detected. Every blood curdling scream would go virtually unnoticed as long as I was careful. The alley ways were quite useful as well. The way it winded and narrowed, made for a quick getaway. The only sound that could be heard was the click of my heels against the hot asphalt as I zigzagged through the narrow spaces, the cool sensation of the night wind against my face. I breathed it in, the smell of blood was still pungent, stagnant in the air. My eyes gleamed blood-red again, lusting for more vampire blood.

"Still not satisfied Rima?"

I whipped around to meet the gaze of a fellow black petal, Saphyrie. I smiled at the vampire with ebony black hair and stunning lavender eyes.

"How did your mission go" I asked

"Went fairly well. The usual" she yawned "and you?"

"Too easy. I want a challenge. The extra effort makes the blood taste sweeter in the end"

"You are too much Rima chan" she laughed.

At last we came to a stop at an old broken down building with its cracked windows boarded up. We went around to the side to meet an alley so narrow that my back was instantly pressed to the wall, my nose only an inch from touching the building. Then we began to scale the building, aiming for a window slightly ajar at the very top of the building. Once inside, we hurriedly descended the old creaking wooden stairs, revealing a tiny trap door at the bottom of the floor, right underneath the stairs. Slipping down the trap door we were now underground, the walls were made of stone, weaving this way and that like a maze. The way was lit with torches engraved into the walls, their yellow light glaring. The path lead us to a great stone door, about 20 feet in height and 10 feet wide. Immediately at our arrival, the door slowly opened revealing a lavishly furnished common room complete with three fireplaces with silver mantles and red Victorian styled couches. On the couches sat gorgeous vixens, much like myself, our purpose was one and the same.

"Rima, Saphyrie, I assume the job is complete?"

Long silver hair fell effortlessly around her shoulders

"Yes Shizuka Sama" I replied.

Shizuka Hiou. Our pureblood leader of the secret society of femme fatale assassins. After the council had her lover murdered, Shizuka vowed to end the battle with the monarchy reigning and with that drive she established the society of the Black Roses. But we all had our own respective motives for joining. I myself swore that I'd take revenge on all pro-council bastards after what happened that night….

"Rima, I have a special target mission for you. It'll require you to go to Japan" Shizuka started

"Japan?" I questioned, surprised at how far I was going away. Usually our missions were kept in the vicinity of the United States.

"This mission won't be a simple 'seduce and kill'. So far, you girls have only taken on level c vampires. But this target is different. He will require much secrecy, planning, and effort. Because this target is a noble"

I smiled. I had been wishing for a challenge all along. I could feel the adrenaline pumping, my blood beginning to heat in excitement.

"Who is the target?" I enquired.  
"His name is Senri Shiki."

**TO BE CONTINUED…**


	3. Chapter 2

**Hey guys.  
Second chapter is up. Keep in mind that this is an AU story, so Shikis character is also changed up a little as well.**

**xXVampiredumgum13Xx: Thank you for the review as always ^^ And yes Shiki comes in this chapter.**

**Georgisakura: Thanks! Hope you enjoy this chapter.**

**Hellopanda23: To clear things up a bit, Rima is pro monarchy (basically pro-kaname if that makes things easier) And so in the first chapter, what I meant by "taking them out" is that she assassinates those who oppose that system (i.e the pro-council vampires). I got from the anime that Shizuka is somehow on Kaname's side (especially because she doesn't even like Rido her fiancée who is pro-council) so in my story I made her the leader of the assassin organization. Hope that made things clearer for you ^^ Thanks for reading.  
**___________________________________________________________  
His phone went off. He groaned and sat up, running his hand through his chestnut-maroon hair.

He looked at the clock on his bed stand.

3 AM.

It wasn't a surprise though.

He flipped open his phone and answered groggily

"Hello?"

"Who are you with right now?"

He looked at the girl who was sleeping beside him. She was a beauty with her long dark brown hair and porcelain skin. But to him, she was just another notch on his bedpost. He smirked as he twirled her hair around his finger.

"No one."

"Liar. Shiki you said you only loved me!"

He rubbed his temple in annoyance. That was the trouble with dating the day class girls, they just got way too clingy over such a small thing. Didn't they know it was only just a game to him?

"I never said such a thing"

And for once he really was telling the truth. He never said the word 'love' to anyone. Not even to his own parents. It just wasn't done. To be completely honest, he wasn't sure if such an emotion even existed for him.

With a sob, the girl on the other line hung up. He just sighed and placed his phone back on the bed stand. The funny thing was, he didn't even know who just called him. She was just another girl out of the many. He'd have another her by tomorrow. That's what really scared him. Because even though he had all the girls any guy could even dream of, it just didn't amuse him. Not in the slightest. He was with a different girl every night, but not one of them could evoke even a little bit of emotion from his otherwise lifeless heart. He was bored and he knew it.

With that thought, he climbed out of bed and began to button up his dress shirt. He wondered how Aidou did it. Aidou, was the other best known player at Cross Academy, and yet unlike him, Aidou actually seemed to be have fun with his lifestyle. So why did he keep on doing things like this? He gave one last glance at the girl in his bed, scoffed, and left the room.  
____________________________________________________

"Senri Kun! Senri Kun!"  
As usual, the masses of adoring but awfully pestering group of girls. Right on time.

"…um….Senri Kun, could you please..accept this? I stayed up all night making it for you"  
A girl with golden blonde locks stood shyly in front of him, holding out a heart shaped chocolate box.  
He hated regular chocolates.

"No"

The poor girl trembled in front of him, tears on the verge of spilling.

"Ne~ Shiki, don't be like that" Aidou jumped in, smiling at the crowd of girls

"Here I'll take it in his place. That's alright, isn't it?" He accepted the chocolate from the blonde girl who blushed and bobbed her head up and down as he patted her.

"Whats wrong with you? Don't you know every guy would kill to be in our places?" Aidou questioned.

Shiki just gave him another one of his half-dead glances and said,  
"Its boring. This game. I don't want to play anymore"

He looked out the window instead, drifting off into yet another one of his afternoon dazes.

Suddenly, his eye caught on a particular strawberry blonde girl, her hair tied up daintily in black silk ribbons. She stood under a tree glaring up at him. Shiki could feel the hatred in her eyes penetrating through to his heart. He was shocked, just through a single glare, this girl, had been able to stir something inside him! What's more, this girl had made it painfully clear that she was _not_ one of his pathetic fans. And that's why he was intrigued by her at first sight.

"Well this ought to be interesting" he thought to himself.

_______________________________________________

**Rima's POV**

First day on the campus, and I already had located my victim. I stood under an oak tree, staring up at the second floor of the building before me. It was hard not to miss him. He stuck out like a sore thumb because of those mobs of girls around him. But this was a bit different. I expected him to bask in the attention of the young girls, all the other vampires I encountered always did. That's what I hated about them so much, even though it worked out on my account because their conceit only helped my 'seduce and kill' tactic. But they always thought of themselves too much. How utterly despicable.  
But somehow this particular target was different. His eyes showed indifference, even boredom, though he was the center of attention. Shizuka sama was right after all, I would have to go about this a different way. He was not one to be swayed over easily by a slit too high up on my thigh. But Senri Shiki, mark my words, I will get you to fall in love with me. And then when you least expect it….  
"This ought to be interesting indeed" I thought to myself, smirking.

_______________________________________________

_So the game has begun, but just who will be cat and who will be the mouse?_


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**Hello thanks for reading and reviewing! It means a lot to me (and makes me update faster haha)**

**Georgisakura: Thanks for reading. And please update your fanfic too ^^**

**  
Bunnyxx: hmm will Rima really be able to kill Shiki? Maybe, maybe not. Of course I am sort of known for killing off my characters so it wouldn't be surprising. Anyway I can't reveal that just yet so stick around and see =) **

**Shikixxrima: same answer as above ^**

**Real Heroes Never Die: Thank you for the review! I'm glad Shiki still came off as in character. Even if its AU I really try to keep him in character as much as possible**

**xXVampiredumgum12Xx: Yeah I thought of Shiki being a player because it just emphasizes his character. You know not being pleased by anything despite the fact that he has 23921083 girls at his side. This role of him will play into the story more than I thought. **

**Asereth: lol everyone keeps wondering if Rima is really capable of killing Shiki. Guess you'll have to wait and see. Thanks for reviewing!**

**PinakaFaltizan: In this story. No Shiki is not Kaname's cousin and there is a very good reason for that, coming up later in the story. **

**__________________________________________________________**

The cool feel of the wind knifed against my cheek. I loved this exhilaration, the adrenaline level rising in my body. My blood began to heat as I got more and more excited. I felt the heat at the ends of my fingertips as the electricity began to rise, already, the sparks were beginning to surface.

"DIE!"

I shot the electricity beams at the hideous monster in front of me, his fangs dripping with the blood of an innocent human girl. His scarlet eyes narrowed to slits as he jumped at me clumsily. Too agile for him, I avoided his attack, aiming yet another spark at him. At last the creature shrieked horrifyingly as he burst into dust and blew away in the wind.

I smirked and wiped the sweat off my brow. He was no Shiki but would have to suffice for now. I chuckled at the thought. If the other black petals knew that I, Rima Touya, was reduced to exterminating lowly level E's, they would certainly bowl over in peals of laughter. But that was alright. I would see it as target practice, biding my time until I could get my hands on the real thing.

At the thought of Shiki, I had suddenly remembered. As I gasped, I checked the small pocket watch I had in the pocket of my black trench coat.

_10 o clock _Class had started.

I leapt off the roof of the building as I jumped gracefully from building to building. At moments like this, I was glad I was a vampire and could run faster than any normal human.

"I'm sorry I'm late" I said in a monotone voice as I entered the class room.

"ahh. Takeuchi San" the professor called out to me.

I could feel all eyes on me as I shifted to the front of the class room.

"Class, tonight, we have a new transfer student from America. This is Takeuchi Rena"

I bowed and muttered,

"Nice to meet you. I hope we can get along"  
I had to change my name and gain a new identity all together in order to carry out my plan.

My eyes averted to Shiki who was staring curiously at me with those icy blue eyes of his.  
_ "Indeed, I hope we can get along..Shiki"_ I thought to myself as I hid a smirk.

"Hmm. Well theres an open seat by Senri Shiki, you may sit there"

_PERFECT. _

I have a gift of intuition, meaning that I'm able to feed off the energy of those around me. This was exactly how I knew the instant I sat down that a particular boy with blonde hair and blue eyes was eyeing me ferociously in the corner and that the sandy haired female at the opposite end was glaring at me, hating me for having stolen all the attention away. And usually, the closer I am to someone, the more I can detect. That's why it worried me. Though I could read into the feelings of most of the people in the room, I couldn't tap into Shiki's energy source.

When the bell rang, signaling the end of class, I felt Shiki's gaze lingering on me and even as I walked out into the empty hallway, I felt his presence behind me.

"Yes, may I help you Shiki san?" I called out without even turning back to look at him

Suddenly, I felt him grab my wrist and push me against the stone wall, his hot breath against my neck made the tiny hairs stand on edge, sensitive to his presence. His eyes flashed a crimson as he whispered into my ear.

"You're bleeding"

And sure enough, I was. I felt a trickle of warm liquid run down my neck

"_Damn. The level E must have scratched me without me noticing" _I thought to myself.

I felt his mouth closing in to the side of my neck as his fangs began to come out. And just as he was about to sink them in…

"Senri, let go of the poor girl"

We whipped around to see…

**TO BE CONTINUED**

**Well hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please R&R! And I know this one was super short so I promise to update in the next 1-2 days so don't kill me for the evil cliff hanger .! **


	5. Chapter 4

**PinakaFaltizan: Yup, I was on spring break so I could update fast but now the evil institution has started up again *cries*  
They attend the night class just like the anime.**

**Bunnyxx: You're right! It is ichijou.**

**It'll quench ya: thank you for reading ^^**

**Real Heroes Never Die: Thank you very much :D continue your fic too please! And more shima time**

**Hellopanda23: No problem, if you have anything else you're confused about, feel free to ask!  
___________________________________________________________________________________**

"Takuma?"

A particular blonde haired, green eyed boy stared back at us, a friendly grin apparent on his face

"you really need to control your blood lust Shiki"

His eyes faded back into the usual silver blue as he loosened his hold on me

"Those blood tablets are disgusting"

"I'm Takuma Ichijou" he said sticking his hand out for me to shake

I glared at the both of them and ran off to my dorm instead, leaving a dazed Ichijou behind.

I slammed the door to my room, panting and out of breath from having run all the way here. Luckily, my assigned room mate, Ruka Souen, wasn't in the room. My back against the door, I slumped down to the floor.

"Why couldn't I move?" I questioned myself

If It were any other time or person I could've easily slipped out of his grasp. It was an odd feeling I couldn't shake off. My blood still boiled, though I was now far from the scene. Why had I been so paralyzed? Something was calling.. I got a strange feeling from my intuition…..

And then, my eyelids began to feel heavier, as I drifted into a sleep…..

_It was dark and cold. My five year old self, was kneeling on the floor crying. There was blood everywhere, on the floor, all over my hands and face. I wasn't alone._

"_Rima-Chan, you'll understand someday.." a soft, muted, female voice called out to me, growing farther away. _

I woke up suddenly, breaking out in a sweat. I held my face in my hands as I relived the dream. It was foggy and blurry and yet I knew it wasn't just a dream. Ever since I was a child, I had this recurring dream and my intuition told me there was something behind it. But I never knew anything more. The dream always stopped with those words, and I never got to see a face or any further clues. All I saw was the crimson of blood everywhere, and my tear stained face. This dream was all I had. I never knew where I came from or who my family was but something told me the council had something to do with it. Somehow I knew that through each target, I grew closer to finding out who I was, and what my dream meant. I wouldn't give up until I did. My fists clenched as I knew what I had to do now.  
_________________________________________________________________________________

I fingered the gun in my hands, the metal felt cool against my skin. 6 spaces. Usually a 16% probability of…well something rather interesting happening, but not tonight, I had slipped in all 6 bullets instead of just one. 100% probability. I smiled to myself as I slipped on a robe over my nightgown, and slowly opened the door to my bedroom, careful not to wake Ruka, and stepped into the dark corridors. I stepped cautiously so as not to make a sound as I crossed to the other wing of the dormitory. Stopping at a specific door with the nameplate: Shiki Senri, I knocked.

The door open slightly as he stood in front of me, his icy blue eyes boring into me. He didn't say a word but merely looked at me with curious eyes. At last, I placed my hand on his chest and pushed him backwards, closing the door behind me as I stepped into his room. He seemed to look at me questioningly but I avoided his eyes and pushed him onto the bed behind him. With my long nails I swiped at my slender neck and winced at the pain as I felt the blood beads beginning to form. His eyes flashed a bright red

"Why?" he asked, holding his heads in his hands, trying to resist his temptations.

I didn't answer him. I just crawled on top of him and wiped a bit of my blood, just a drop, on the ends of my fingertip as I brought it close to his lips. He struggled and pushed me off of him, pinning me under now, his eyes now completely red, half crazed for a desire of my blood. Even to other vampires, my blood smelt delicious. He brought his head close to my neck, about to bite me. But before he could, I pushed him away from me.

"There's a price to pay for blood. Would you like to play a little game for it?"

He stared at me stolidly as he waited for me to continue my explanations.

"Things are rather boring here isn't it? I thought we could play a game. If you win, I'll give you a taste of blood. After all, you must be weary from having to eat those disgusting blood substitutes. But if you lose….well you're going to have to play into fates hands" I smirked as I brought out the sleek revolver.

His eyes widened at the sight of it.

"Russian Roulette…" he whispered. **(refer to notes at the bottom if you don't know what this is)**

"Correct. Would you like to play?"

He pondered for a second, hesitating at my dangerous proposal.

"…hmm, not unexpected." I rose from his bed and proceeded to exit his room.

_Three_

"Although honestly, I thought you were one of the more…"

_Two_

"interesting..ones"

_One_

"Wait" he spoke from the bed, stopping me from leaving his room.

I turned around, a sly smile on my face.

"I'll play"

"Very good." I said as I brought out a deck of cards. "Now what shall we play? Poker?"  
He nodded in agreement. I dealed the cards, though to tell the truth, I had rigged it beforehand like the gun.

And we played in silence for the next 20 minutes, he and I both had a perfect poker face, neither of us showing any sort of emotion.

At last, we had to show our results.

He laid down his hand.

A full house.

But I smirked,

"Good. But not good enough"

I showed him my own hand. A royal flush.

His face fell as he knew what this meant. I handed him the revolver, my heart beating faster from the excitement, the anticipation. He turned the cylinder, rotating the bullet spaces inside. He brought the gun to the side of his head and closed his eyes as he slowly pulled the trigger….

**TO BE CONTINUED.  
-------------------------------------**

**Russian Roulette: It's a life risking chance game with a revolver that has six space slots for bullets, only one of which contains a bullet. What happens is that you spin the cylinder on the gun, and that rotates the bullet spaces in the gun. So the person has to take a chance and pull the trigger. There is a 1/6 probability that you could die because of the one bullet.


	6. Chapter 5

Hey guys!Sorry I haven't updated in a month but I got super busy with school, exams, applications etc

haha, not sure I even have any readers anymore cause its been so long but here we go! Chapter 5. Its a long one. Enjoy :DHeres a recap of what happened last:

**"Good. But not good enough"**

**I showed him my own hand. A royal flush.**

**His face fell as he knew what this meant. I handed him the revolver, my heart beating faster from the excitement, the anticipation. He turned the cylinder, rotating the bullet spaces inside. He brought the gun to the side of his head and closed his eyes as he slowly pulled the trigger….**

______________________________________________________________________________

But no sound was heard. Shiki sat there, his face returning to a blank slate. Rima tried her best to hide her surprise but she felt her jaw fall slightly agape, betraying her emotions. Why hadn't the gun gone off? Why was Shiki still sitting before her, alive and well? She gathered her composure quickly, so as not to set off her facade and reached to take the revolver back.

"W-well, I suppose fate was on your side this time around" she whispered, still a little dazed.

Shutting the door behind her, she left a stoic looking Shiki behind and stepped into the main room. As she sat down one of the Edwardian styled couches, she examined the gun. Just what had gone wrong? She attempted to pull the trigger to fire the gun, but she found that the trigger would not budge. Then it dawned on her: the gun had jammed. In a fit of frustration, Rima tossed the gun across the floor to the opposite end of the room as she stomped to her own room, a chain of curses going through her mind. Unbeknownst to the night class however, a shadowy figure slinked its way to the endge of the main room and picked up the gun.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Rima's POV

"Rise and Shine!"I groaned and pulled the covers over my head, ready to murder whoever was waking me so annoyingly.

"RIIMMMMAAA"

This overly cheerful sing-song voice could only belong to one person, and one person only. I bolted upright, aiming daggers at the blonde haired-green eyed vampire in front of me, whose smile stretched from eart to ear. "Get up sleepy head! I have an announcement!"With that, he bounced out of my room, narrowly missing the book aimed at his head, which ended up hitting the door instead. "Damn Ichijou" I muttered to myself. I had to admit, I wasn't exactly the friendliest person in the mornings and to add last nights failure into account just put the cherry on top. I grudgingly pulled on my school uniform anyway, wondering what all the commotion was about. When I entered into the common room, everyone was already gathered around Ichijou, equally murderous expressions present on their tired faces. Aidou in particular looked ready to pounce on the next person who provoked him, his hair sticking up in odd directions.

"Hurry up and get to the point!"  
"Now, now patient is a virtue Hanabusa" Ichijou smiled, but with a warning snarl from Aidou, he proceeded with his announcement.

"Tonight is going to be a grand masquerade hosted by my grandfather Ichiou!"  
I caught the icy glance of a particular chestnut haired boy from across the room, his eyes lingering on me, boring into my head, as if to read my mind. I quickly looked away and pretended not to have seen, but I still felt his fiery gaze on me  
"You woke us up for that?" Ruka glared  
"Mhmm! ^^" Ichijou nodded  
Taking that as a cue, Ruka and the others growled a string of curses at a helpless Ichijou as they made their ways back to their respective rooms, hoping to catch up on some rudely disturbed sleep. I too planned to follow, my eyes drooping, when I felt his hands grip tightly around my wrist and pull me around to meet his gaze.  
"Yes, may I help you Shiki San?" I drolled, faking disinterest.

He didn't answer but merely dragged me out the double doors to the courtyard outside. I tried hard to twist my wrist from his grasp but he was too strong. At last he plopped me down on a marble bench underneath a willow tree and leaned in towards me, his velvet lips grazing my ear, sending shivers down my spine.  
"I've yet to quench my thirst" he whispered almost seductively.

I felt the heat of his tongue as he licked a particularly sensitive area of my throat, and I threw my head back in response, wanting so badly. I wasn't even sure what I wanted. All I knew was, that I wanted to give in so badly to my desires. Like sinking into the clouds, I felt myself slowly losing any trace of logic and my pulse in my neck beat louder, like drums responding to his presence. It wouldn't hurt to give in just this once would it?  
"NE? WHERES SHIKI SEMPAI? I'VE WAITED ALL MORNING TO SEE , HE'S SO CUTE."  
That broke the trance, the giggles of a pair of fan girls were heard just around the corner. And suddenly, my anger flared. It was close, TOO close. I couldn't believe I had let myself almost succumb to his devious ways!I pushed him off me forcefully and slapped him, leaving a ringing red mark on his flawless cheek.  
"How DARE you." I venemously spat "If you think I'm just another one of your pathetic, drooling fan girls you can use and discard at your whim, you are sorely mistaken!"  
"KYAHH! ITS SHIKI SEMPAI!"  
The fan girls had made their way around to the garden at last, and catching sight of Shiki rushed to pounce on him.  
For once, I was glad of their presence as I stalked away, leaving him to be devoured by those mindless girls.

"Who does he think he is?!" I screamed as I threw a stuffed bear against the pale cream wall of my bedroom in anger.

"Who does who think he is?" a female voice rang from the doorway behind me  
I whipped around to see Rima, whom after all had stopped hating me once all the night class guys regulated back to their normal behaviors instead of ogling me every chance they got.

"uh.....ICHIJOU" I made up on the spot "ruining my peaceful slumber this morning! the nerve of him"

she chuckled, a pretty rare sight, as she agreed with me  
"but you have to forgive him, that's just the way he is." she stated matter of factly.

"Anyway, just came by to see what you're wearing to tonights masquerade. All the nobles are going to be arriving, with all their sons. And who knows? It might be a night to find a potential mate, no?"

"I don't really care much" I said in a monotone voice  
it was true, I didn't really put any thoughts into these sorts of things, especially with potential "mates". I always was coldly unattached to the opposite sex. It was a convenient life style, I never understood the sappy female characters of the tv soap operas who ended up crying their hearts out over some equally sappy, if not even more dimwitted, male. In fact, my heart probably raced more at the prospective of a new mission, feeling the cool night air running through my hair as I jumped the roofs of buildings.  
"Well thats no way to think about your future" Ruka lightly reprimanded as she ruffled through my closet.  
Finding nothing fit for the occasion, she wrinkled her nose and motioned for me to follow her. I rolled my eyes in exasperation but knew she was not one to take no for an answer and followed her reluctantly.

Arriving at her closet, she opened the door to reveal a crimson walled walk in closet, full of shoes, jewelry, clothes, and the like. It would've been any girls heaven. But certainly not mine. She began shifting through a few racks, while I yawned glumly, sitting on a red cushioned ottoman. After what seemed ages, she finally muttered a sentiment of appreciation as she pulled out a dress from the masses of fabric. Even I had to stop and stare at the gown for a second**(Links to dress picture below for those who are curious). It was a pure white with an enchanting bodice with embroidery and pearls lining just underneath the bust and waist. The neckline was made of sheath drapery, giving off a pure luminescent and mystical vibe, as if the gown itself had come straight off the ivory back of a fairy.  
"Well I've never had the chance to wear this gown, but I already have a BCBG number. Would you mind very much Rima?"

So that night, I ended up slipping into the gown, which pretty much condemned me to be Ruka's barbie doll for the night in exchange for her dress. I never realized she was the type to be so...girly. Her outward melancholy appearance never struck me as the type, but I suppose we all have hidden secrets. She gushed over my hair, which she loosely draped into an elegant updo, leaving behind a few curled tendrils to fall delicately on my slender neck. Through the hair she weaved strands of freshwater pearls.  
"There, now aren't you a masterpiece?" she smiled as she handed me a matching ivory mask with pearls on the outer edges.

I must admit, I didn't even recognize myself. But I suppose that would be a good thing. I still had to carry out plans, despite it all. With that, I tied the white mask around my face. _____________________________________________________________________________

He couldn't stop thinking about her as he rubbed his cheek  
_"If you think I'm just another one of your pathetic, drooling fan girls you can use and discard at your whim, you are sorely mistaken!"  
_No girl had ever spoken like that to him before, let alone slap him. He should've been angry, he really should have. But somehow, he felt more attracted by her. It was as if, in some sadistic way, God had answered his prayers. He was dying of boredom at Cross Academy until she came. And where had she come from anyway? He realized, he knew absolutely nothing about her. Shiki sighed and fixed his bow tie as he looked at himself in the full length mirror. A princely sight if he thought so himself, worthy of James Bond. Now usually he wasn't the type who would give a damn about these sort of soirees or about his appearance in the slightest, but tonight, he gave particular attention to each strand of hair, each button on his dress shirt. All for her.  
"What am I doing?" he thought, annoyed at himself for acting such a fool.

Who knew a mere girl could have such an overpowering effect on him, even when she wasn't here? Yet, he couldn't forget her. Her defiant azure eyes, headstrong though she was, and most of all the pulsing red blood that ran through her veins. It drove him insane at night, even just a little drop would be enough. Soon, the blood tablets would cease to satiate his thirst. And that was what was more curious. No one, not even in his most parched days, could drive him to this point. And yet, she did it so easily. __________________________________________________________________________

"Ladies and gentlemen of nobility, I welcome you to the Ichijou masquerade" Ichiou's voice boomed on the stage  
"Now I invite you all here tonight for business purposes, but that does not mean that there will be no fun to be had. For tonight, I have one rule and one rule only. One must keep one's mask on until the clock strikes 12. And then when midnight has come, we shall unmask."

Rima pouted as she realized there was one huge flaw to her plan. Though she hid the dagger safely underneath her petticoats, she had forgotten one essential detail. How could she possibly figure out who Shiki was under these circumstances? Never mind hair color, there were several nobles here with similar hair shades. She groaned and walked outside to the rose gardens, feeling utterly claustrophobic inside the well crowded room. Besides, she needed to clear her head, being inside a stuffy room full of stuffy people was not going to help her figure out her next move.

Pacing around the gardens, she stood near the open pond, the moon reflected off the clear dark waters. Yet, one thing really bothered her. She had been trying to shake it off for a while but she couldn't deny it. Shiki made her feel for the first time. What was that episode this morning? Was it really him she was angry at, or herself for being so weak? That wasn't like her at all, to succumb so easily to a mans alluring ways. She hated herself for it, and she hated him for reducing her to such a pathetic state.

Shiki roamed the hallways of the Ichijou mansion aimlessly.  
"How typical" he thought  
Another event filled with the same nobles dancing to the same classical tune: Bach's Cello Suite PreludeHe needed to get out of there, lest he be consumed by the monotony of it all.

He found himself out at the rose gardens, breathing in the sweet summer nights air. He exhumed a content sigh as he wandered beside the cobbled roadway, softly grazing the petals of the dark red roses beside him. Traveling along the road, he caught sight of a figure. So he wasn't the only one here, he thought to himself. He stood besides an acorn tree, concealing himself in the shadows as he gazed upon the lovely female backside in front him, standing in front of the pond. Her silhouette was statuesque but fragile and petite and though her mask concealed her expression, he felt as though she were lost in pensivity He couldn't help but feel mesmerized by such a sight, the pale moonlight shone on her skin, illuminating it. He was so mesmerized in fact, that he unknowingly stepped out of the shadow and found himself walking towards her. Hearing footsteps behind her she whipped around and gave a sharp gasp of surprise at the sight of the masked man behind her. Though she tried to get away as quickly as she could, he softly grabbed her forearm, stopping her  
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you"  
She gazed at him through her mask questioningly  
"I only meant...to get away. And I suppose, I wasn't the only one who thought that way" he explained  
She couldn't help but let a small smile push through.  
"I didn't realize there would be anyone else at such an event who would think the way I do" she replied, softening her voice.  
The hauntingly beautiful sound of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata drifted toward the both of them, perfectly fitting the ambience between the two. He stretched out his hand, inviting her to dance  
"It would be a shame not to, having come here tonight" he stated  
"Then I oblige" she replied as she placed a lace-gloved hand over his.

The two of them began to waltz under the moonlight, completely intoxicated by the other, as well as the resonating melody.

Her soft hand against his. Her pink lips, her ivory skin, and the way her sapphire eyes twinkled reflected in the moonlight. It was all too familiar yet he couldn't quite place his finger on it.

She was equally as entranced. His smoldering gaze, his firm but gentle grip on the small of her back. She felt him drawing her nearer to his body, their hearts beating in unison along to the melody of the sonata.  
As the last piano key was struck signaling the end of the dance, she realized just how close their faces really were. But even as the tune ended, he did not seem to have any chance of letting her drew his lips closer to the girls, the scent of her light perfume consuming him. She closed her eyes gently and he felt her warm breath on his lips. He took a glance at her perfect face but something glinted in the distance, and he found himself distracted by the sight. His keen vampire senses zeroed in on the background despite the dark blanketing over them, but he made out a figure. Even with his senses he could not make out the identity, but he could make out what was in the figures hand. A gun. Pointed straight at the lovely dame he had danced with.

He twisted her around with no warnings so as not to set off the murderer, but the sudden movement did anyway as the gun shot sounded. He pushed her into the pond to save her, but her hands entwined around his waist and pulled him in as well. Now submersed underwater, shell-shocked but without injury, Shiki searched desperately for the girl, not realizing his mask had come undone. The girl, her eyes wide with shock and fear stared at him through her still attached mask and then fainted dead away as he pulled her body to the surface. All the while, the clock rang twelve times in the distance.

TO BE CONTINUED...

_______________________________________________________________________

**Here is a picture of rima's masquerade gown

http:// img. photobucket. com/ albums /v491 /ValorsChosen /Gown1. jpg?t=1242186895

Remove spaces please after you paste it into your address bar.

And also please search Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata on youtube. its a really beautiful song and it matches the two of them PERFECTLY.


	7. Chapter 6

Hello guys! Summer vacation has finally arrived and its blazing hot here, but that only means one thing. More time to update yay! I just reread the last chapter and it had so many typos and errors so I apologize for that. There was this one scene where Takuma called Rima by "rima" and not "rena". Sorry that was incorrect, in this story, everyone in cross academy only knows rima by her undercover identity: Rena. Keep that in mind when you read this chapter, and I hope you like it!  
__________________________________________________________________________

**"I told you I'd handle her"  
Two dark figures in dark cloaks, spoke in hushed tones somewhere in the city that night.  
"How long do you expect me to wait? The plan must go on"  
"These things take time. You could have ruined everything"  
"Don't forget, the one who holds the power is me. Have you forgotten our little deal?"**

_  
"I'll be back for you! I promise... I promise!"  
A certain chesnut haired boy unclasped the grasping small hands from his and wiped his tears which clouded his vision as he found himself running away, leaving a small figure behind him. He ran and ran until his house became a small dot in the distance.  
"I'll be back..Please don't hate me"_

Shiki woke up, a sweat running down his spine. He hadn't had that dream for ages. Why now? He buried his face in his hands as tears began to overwhelm him. It had been so long ago, but in his dreams he remembered so clearly. It was funny in a way. After that incident, he had worked so hard to become the man he was now, one who concealed his emotions with a stony face and never even gave anyone the opportunity to hold his heart. He just couldn't take that chance anymore, it was too vulnerable. But one dream, and everything came rushing back, the emotions, the tears, the painful pangs in his heart, and that little boy he had buried deep within himself.

Overcome with sorrow, his eyes suddenly turned crimson-red, and he found himself unbearably thirsty, even more than he had ever been before. He crawled out of bed and dragged himself, hunched over, to his desk eyeing a few blood tablets scattered across. He reached for them and hastily ripped open the containers, almost breaking the tablets in half. Without even putting it in water first, his desire was too painful to be held back, he shoved 5 tablets in his mouth at once with shaking hands. It wasn't enough. He needed real blood. He needed **her** blood. He slammed open the door, and dragged himself out the doorway, the pain in his body was getting worse, he could barely even stand now.

He found himself slowly creaking open the door to her bedroom where she lay in bed peacefully sleeping like a doll after he had rescued her. Soon his vision was stained red with dangerous desire, poisonous to him. He could sense it inside himself, he could feel and hear the beat of her juicy pulse, like drums. With each fluctuating beat of her pulse, he drew closer and closer to her bed, the scent of her consuming him, stripping away his sanity, his reasoning. He felt himself becoming a beast, a slave to the temptation. Shiki closed his fists around her delicate wrists and held them firmly in place, his breath was hot against her neck and he felt his fangs coming out. He heard her scream as she finally awoke and struggled against him. But it was useless, she was an insignificant prey compared to him, there was no way she could fight against him, he was much too strong. But her scream, her awful screaming. He shut his eyes and tried to block out her screaming, the scenes of the incident in his dream kept flashing in his mind.

_"Senri! Don't leave me! Please don't leave me!"  
_  
Her awful screaming! The blood, there was so much blood.

"STOP! STOP!" he yelled at her.

Rena's face began to change before him, distorted and became _that girl's face.... _

_"Senri! Senri!" _

"I TOLD YOU I'LL COME BACK!!!"

He felt the tears running hot against his cheeks again, that little boy had resurfaced again.  
His eyes returned to their normal icy blue but the tears would not stop. His grip on Rena's wrist loosened and he felt her stop struggling and her screams subside. Exhausted and confused, he buried his face and sobbed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*Rima*

"What an odd boy" Rima thought to herself as she twirled the burgundy hair of the sleeping boy on top of her.  
Hands down, this was the oddest mission she had ever had. She couldn't figure him out. At other times he was so cold and unfeeling, and always had a sense of boredom in his eyes. He played around with the hearts of other girls, yet tonight, he had come to her room severely disoriented and began to cry. He never seemed the type. And just what was happening anyway? The events of the previous night, of today. Was she...becoming attached to him? No! She couldn't. She wouldn't. So then why couldn't she just kill him now, he was at his most vulnerable state?  
"Well what would be the fun in that if I were to kill him right away? Its only to prolong the game"  
Yes that must be it, she convinced herself. In the meantime, she had other business to tend to. Shizuka had sent her a letter that morning acquiring of a meeting right away. Rima quietly slipped out of the bed so as not to wake Shiki and reached for the black trench coat that hung over her bedside chair. Next to the chair on the table, was her white hankerchief. She grabbed that as well and lightly dabbed a stray tear on Shiki's cheek and left it in the palm of his hand for him to keep.  
"You may prove to be worth my time after all"  
With that, she smiled and turned away as she opened the glass french window of her bedroom and leaped into the darkness.

Shizuka stood, her back to Rima, her silver hair falling regally down her slender back  
"Why is it taking so long?" she questioned, a sense of doom lingering in her voice.  
Clearly she was not pleased and her otherwise imperturbably calm face now had a look of utmost urgency.  
"Shizuka Sama, wasn't it you that told me to bide my time? You were right, he is not like the other targets I've had, I need time to plan this out more carefully"  
"You must hurry. Time is not in our favor"  
Noticing the slight panic in her otherwise composed pureblood leader, Rima stood silently for awhile and then inquired with a quiet but still voice,  
"What has happened?"  
"...There is someone else, I don't know who, but I can sense it. There is someone else"  
"Someone else?"  
Rima had no idea what Shizuka was even saying.  
"Rima, we are not the only vampire assassin society. I didn't realize there would be another organization. But it has recently come to my attention that there is a competing source. Things are becoming more dangerous as we speak"  
".....why?"  
"They are after you Rima. Whoever they are, someone is out to get you. Do you hear me? You have become their target".

**To be Continued!**


	8. Chapter 7

hello =) I'm probably going to end this story pretty soon. Maybe in the next 2-3 chapters or so. Anyways heres the next part. Enjoy ^^**  
Asereth: **yes Shiki knows the mysterious girl is Rima because eventually he had to pull her out of the water and save her. Also I will update this story quite regularly because summer vacation is here =) and I have lots of free time. Expect the story to end at least by next week.:  
**xXmoonlightangelXx**: thank you for reviewing a lot of my chapters =) It really inspires a writer to update faster so keep it up  
**Rajsa**: haha just wait, the plot thickens  
**Georgisakura: **Thank you for the review as always =D**  
Hellopanda23: **yeah sorry about that. When I updated it, it took out the dividing lines in between paragraphs/point of views so it just ended up being one whole chunk. That's probably what confused you. And not to worry, fi you thought this was drama, the next 2-3 chapters will be even more drama.

SHIMASHIMASHIMASHIMASHIMASHIMASHIMASHIMASHIMASHIMASHIMA

*Rima's POV*

_I was there again, in that cold house, blood all around me. I was crying, and I felt so cold. So unbearably cold.  
It was strange, I was looking at a child version of myself, but this wasn't something I remembered.  
In this house, my vision suddenly became blurry, things weren't clear. I had to know.  
"Rima-chan you'll understand someday"  
Usually my dream faded away at this point, but tonight this dream went further.  
I looked toward to the voice, and saw a blurred version of a woman standing in front of my five year old self.  
She held her hand over my forehead and the space in between my skin and her hand glowed a bright white.  
"What are you doing?" I tried to scream, but it seemed I was invisible.  
Nevertheless, the figure turned around and stared straight at me.  
"Shizuka sama?" _

"SHIZUKA SAMA!!"  
I bolted upright in my bed. Lately these dreams have been growing more and more intense and more frequently. My head began to ache fervently.  
_Who am I?  
Where is my family?  
Where did I come from?_  
I had to see Shizuka sama.  
For the past years I had served dutifully under her hoping to find an answer to these questions and why I couldn't remember anything aside from the fragments I saw in my dreams.  
I knew they meant something, I felt something burning inside me and something told me she knew. Why else would she be in the dream?  
Something about this entire ordeal was becoming increasingly odd. It was as if I were trapped in a fun house with distorted mirrors, the fine line between reality and dreams had begun to blur.  
I hastily climbed out of bed and began to pack my things. If I was quick I could be in New York at the headquarters by dawn. I looked out the window, it was still dark, I might be able to sneak out of the moon dorm.  
Carrying my things, I put on a black cloak and quietly tip-toed into the dark hallway. Swiftly running in the corridors, I made sure to stick to the shadows so I wouldn't be seen. Yet, I got an eerie feeling I was being watched. The only light came from the moonlight bathing the dark hallways through the roman arches of the building structure.  
I took a detour from the corridor outside to the gardens and into a giant maze. The hedges were at least two feet taller than I was and it seemed much more intimidating in the darkness than it had in the daylight. Still, I had to throw off whoever was tailing me. I could sense it in my gift of intuition, that burning sensation I got in the pit of my stomach roared to life. Although I was running, my temperature dropped. I knew I was in danger.

Zigzagging left and right, the gravel beneath my foot loosened and I felt myself falling forward. A dark looming shadow came over me and I saw an outline of a weapon from the ground. I turned around slowly to see a man much taller than me in a dark hooded cloak and a mask which covered his entire face. In his hand he held a pistol aimed directly at me.  
Unemotionally I blinked. If there was anything I had learned from being an assassin was to keep stress under control.  
With a steady voice I uttered just one word  
"Why?"  
He didn't say anything. He merely stood there for a moment or two. Then he groaned loudly, twisted his face in agony and pulled back the gun.  
Suddenly with a flip of the cloak he began to run back into the darkness and disappeared from sight.

Why hadn't he pulled the trigger? I ran after him as crazy as that might have seemed, something in my intuition once again told me it was alright.  
But he was faster than I, and as soon as I turned the corner, he had gone.  
However, something in the moonlight caught my eye. It was something white on the ground.  
I slowly walked over to it and picked it up. It was a piece of cloth.  
I turned it over and fingered the familiar initials embroidered into it: R.T.  
**It was my own.  
**___________________________________________________________________  
Yes short chapter I know haha, but to make up for length, I'm going to be updating more frequently


	9. Chapter 8

Hey guys chapter 8. One more chapter to the final =D  
And I told you guys the chapters were going to be hella short. So is this one.  
Don't kill me _ The final chapter is going to be sort of long (i hope, i havent actually started yet so *shrug*)

Anyway  
**Hellopanda23**: haha, this one is a bit longer than the last though..I think.  
**{ }"Phoebe が止まらない**: Glad you liked chapter 7, hope you like chapter 8 just as much. and no worries about the blabbering, I love long reviews =) keep em coming.  
**MizzDarknezz**: I worked on the formatting. Don't know what it looks like on your computer screen, but I tried ! Gomen  
Thanks for the reviews and super happy you enjoy the story **Rimacchi kuran, xXmoonlightangelXx, Anon42, Georgisakura**  
**Shikixxrima**: answer to your questions  
1) who was that- you will find out this chapter  
2) why didn't he pull the trigger- also will find out this chapter  
3) What does "it was my own" mean- It was her (Rima) own hankerchief. The white piece of cloth is a hankerchief with the initials R.T (Rima Touya) embroidered into it.  
As a further hint, do you remember what she did with the hankerchief? If not take a look at the end of chapter 6.

________________________________________________________  
_  
"I can't do it"_  
**  
"What?!" **

_"I…I love her"_  
**  
"You listen to me boy! If you don't do as I say, I'm afraid I can't keep our part of the deal" **

The dark figure grabbed the collar of its assassin and glared into his icy blue eyes.  
_  
"..I don't want to do this anymore."_ he claimed staring brazenly back into the heterochromic eyes of his master.

With an angry yell the dark figure threw back his assassin causing him to stumble backwards onto the ground.

Suddenly the figure began to laugh maliciously  
**  
"You and I aren't so different after all. If anything, we are the most alike." **  
_  
"What are you talking about?" _  
**  
"Betraying those who have the same blood running through their veins. Betraying our own blood-ties for some silly naïve love." **  
_  
"We may share the same blood, but I have NEVER considered you my father." _  
**  
"You foolish boy. Its not I that I am referring to. It is that dear girl you hold so close in your heart. The sole reason you turned to me in the first place is it not?" **

The assassin stood silently and hung his head while his master continued to laugh, clearly enjoying the pain he was causing.  
**  
"Yes, we are quite alike. I betrayed and killed my own brother for 'love'. You too have killed your own sibling. You realize that don't you?"**  
_  
"…I did not…I did not kill her" _

**"Haven't you? You abandoned her. If that wasn't enough to kill the girl as it was, now you are forsaking even the memory of that girl for some foolish love. As far as I'm concerned that girl is already dead now. You've killed her" **  
_  
"I DID NOT KILL HER!" _

The assassin held a knife edge at the throat of his master, threatening him with bared teeth  
**  
"Careful boy. Watch your actions. Your life lies in MY hands. After all, I hold the knowledge of where your dear sister is. Now all you need to do is kill Rena Takeuchi and you will receive your end of the deal soon enough." **

The assassin loosened his hold on his master, frustrated and angered and asked him one more question,

_ "Why her? Why Rena?" _  
**  
"That, is my business. But not to worry, things will become painstakingly clear soon enough. It is only a matter of time before things truly begin to unravel. How amusing this is beginning to look."**

With a smirk, the master took off.

________________________________________________________

Rima paced in her bedroom that she had decided not to leave after all.

Things had become clear to her and she no longer needed to visit Shizuka.

She had only one mission, one that she had forgotten due to stupid, insignificant little distractions and flutters of the heart.

Now she would never find herself victim to such a weak and pathetic thing called "love" again.

Now she only had her heart set on one thing: Senri Shiki must die.

She had placed all the necessary weapons all concealed perfectly in her outfit, a few daggers here and there, a gun and her special ruby encrusted knife.

But they were just backups. She had planned a special death for Shiki. He would suffer just as much as he had made her suffer.

She eyed the tiny crystal bottle in her hands and watched the sunlight reflect off the case and deflect rays of rainbow across her room.

The light only made the red liquid inside shine even more brilliantly. Exactly like the color of blood.

"Cantarella"

She whispered underneath her breath.

It was a poison, but a special poison at that. It was meant to reach the heart slowly and painfully and consume it with venom, causing the victim to die a slow and agonizing death.

"Just like what you did to my heart…"

Rima wiped a stray tear and bitterly made herself stop

"No more tears for a deceiving, conniving bastard. Just as a player should, he played the game well. Too well. I was fooled and let my guard down. But not anymore." she thought to herself.

Tonight he would become the victim in her tangled web.

_____________________________________________________________________

Shiki lay down on his bed and closed his eyes.

Things had gotten out of hand lately. All he could think of was Rena.

He played Beethoven's moonlight sonata on his phonogram and smiled a bitterly as he recalled how they had danced underneath the moonlight. Somehow, that seemed ages ago.

"Rena…" he found himself calling out her name in desire. It was agonizing, this desire for her.

She was the first girl that had been able to touch his heart, his cold and unfeeling heart had been moved for the first time since…well since that girl, whose name he was too ashamed to even speak.

But it was all for naught. A tear trailed down the side of his face as he knew whom he had to choose.

Blood was after all thicker than water, maybe even thicker than whatever love was made of.

He would prove it to himself, he was nothing, NOTHING, like that wretched evil man who was unfortunately his father.

Even if it meant he had to kill his own love, dig his own heart out.

"How masochistic" he thought with a smirk.


	10. Chapter 9 FINAL

FINAL CHAPTER =) This took me quite a while to write. Enjoy and leave lots of reviews please ^^

___________________________________________________________

**"Meet me at the rooftop at midnight"**

He had looked over the note several times, folded and unfolded until the creases became all too familiar.

He had even begun to memorize the lettering of her handwriting: delicate but strong, the "d"'s curved up and the "e"'s made soft feminine loops in elegant cursive.

They were but words, but 7 words too many. Each step he took upon the winded staircase resounded like echoes in his heart.

She stood, her back to him, donned in a simplistic white Grecian- dress, the hem of which trailed down to the floor.

Tonight, her mane of golden hair flowed freely, curved just around her fragile shoulders.

The night wind which felt cool against his now clammy face, blew gently, swaying the light fabric of her dress, causing organic ripples in her skirt and vaguely highlighting the feminine figure underneath.

He could feel the syllables escaping, dancing across the palate of his tongue to graze the roof of his mouth twice,

"Rena"

Two syllables, but it felt more like one musical note.

She turned around, the strands of hair swaying in tune to the wind.

He knew he shouldn't, but he couldn't turn his face away somehow mesmerized by her eyes, entrancing though they were, somehow he felt an odd sort of sensation in his chest, a tightening if you will,

constricting his airway, making it difficult to breathe or think.

All he knew and saw was her.

He felt his vision dimming and brightening again, in and out in a pattern.

His eyes seeped crimson and he narrowed in on the light throbbing of her pulse along her slender white neck.

Did they call this blood lust? It wasn't the first time he had craved blood even to the edge of insanity, but this….well this was different.

He craved blood. Yes that much was true, but there was something in his heart this time, something long forgotten.

A madness, a tenderness, an oppressive hideous constraint. He staggered forward and held her square by the shoulders, expecting a struggle.

But she gave none at all. He trailed light butterfly kisses on her creamy neck eliciting a slight moan from between her lips.

She ran her soft fingers through his dark maroon hair, wrapping her legs around his waist. He supported her, a firm hand along the small of her back, sitting her upon the edge of the roof, nipping at

her neck until it caused little bruises in a line. She threw her head back, her mouth slightly agape.

He retracted his fangs and slowly sank them into her soft supple skin causing her to wince in pain and grab a fistful of his hair tighter. But it was only then that he realized. He shot his eyes open as the

epiphany finally reached him, the hot stinging blood coursing down his throat.

He knew now why she was the only one who could awaken him from that coldness he emanated. They had the same essence: Rena..and his sister.

In place of the elegant, if not slightly morose female in front of him, he saw in her that little five year olds face; her laughter like Christmas morning, her smile like the warmth of a sun on a particular

summer afternoon. And suddenly, with a blink of an eye, Rena became that girl, sepia faded and standing about 4 feet 2 in a white summer dress, swaying with the wind, a rose in hand as always.

"Rima"

It was then that he realized, with a smile on his face even as the dark blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, that the little girl he had been searching for, atoning for so desperately, had been in

his arms all along. Despite the utter hopelessness of it all, he was in heaven, a heaven whose skies were like hell's blood but a heaven nonetheless.

Suddenly he felt an uncontrollable pain begin to take over him, immobilizing his body, jerking it this way and that beyond his control.

He was unable to speak but he clawed at her as she tried to twist away from him, a smirk evident on her lovely face.

She had to know. It was killing him, he could feel the coldness beginning to absorb him, but she had to know.

___________________________________________________________

Rima tried hard to wriggle away from Shiki but his grasp on her waist was firm.

She tried to scream but his lips on hers, smothered any cry for help. He slashed his own neck with his finger nails, causing a few drops to trickle down his neck.

Her eyes turned crimson red as the blood lust began to consume her, but she twisted her head away from it, knowing his blood was poisoned.

Shiki gazed into her face with such burning eyes, his breaths reduced to nothing more than a staccato rhythm and his chest rising up and down in mountains and valleys.

The look in his eyes were nothing short of a madman's, overpowering and desiring. In desperation, he'd half-sob her name, between short savage kisses which dotted her face

"Rima"

Rima widened her eyes as she realized he called her name. How had he known her name? She went under the alias of Rena Takeuchi all this time.

Caught off guard, Shiki had managed to force his blood into her slightly open mouth, and though she sputtered and fought with all her might, he was stronger than her, even as he was dying, and

pinned her long enough to get her to swallow.

Rima closed her eyes gently and ceased to struggle. Instead she lay limp in Shiki's arms and found herself journeying to a distant place.

The darkness beyond her eyelids, began to brighten. At first it was a piercing white light, but seeped out into a sepia tone.

_  
"Onii-sama!"_

_A particular strawberry blonde little girl holding a bushel of roses lay on the lap of her older brother, a chesnut-maroon haired boy, who chewed on a pocky stick and twirled his younger sisters hair with_

_one hand. The both of them, were but children and appeared to be looking into the distance, a serene expression upon their innocent faces._

_"mmm Rima chan?" he responded, a little monotone but caring nonetheless._

_"How come I have a different last name than you?"_

_The older boy, though only 8, was wise for his years._

_"We're only half-related. Our fathers are different"_

_"Why?"_

_the little girl scratched her head, confusion becoming evident as she scrunched up her face._

_"Mother says we're too young to understand."_

_"But we'll get married too one day ne?"_

_"Of course. I only love you Rima chan"_

_The little girl flushed red at his words and buried her face in her hands as she suppressed a giggle._

_"Ne, Rima Chan, look up there. Don't you think that cloud is shaped like a heart?"_

_The little stared up at the sky and stayed silent for awhile before she claimed,_

_"The clouds are always moving nii-sama. Where are they going?"_

_"They go to a place that you and I will be someday in our next lives. When the world turns in a full circle a few times, and we've seen the seasons change at least 300 times, we'll know where they go"_

_"In my next life, I want to be a rose petal!" the little girl giggled as she brought one of her roses to her nose._

_"Look at how soft the petals feel nii-sama, it'll bring a lot of joy to the person who sees it don't you think?"_

_"I suppose I'll have to be the stem then" The boy responded, smiling lovingly at his younger sister_

_"hmm? But the stem is thorny and nobody likes it nii-sama. Why do you want to be the stem?"_

_"Its thorny for a reason Rima-chan. Its thorny but its solid and it protects the rose so nobody can harm it and yank it out from its roots without first getting stabbed. I'll be the stem for you and you'll always be safe"_

_It should have ended that way. But happy endings are merely stories which have not ended._

_A blood-curdling scream was heard from their mansion and Shiki bent over to cover the ears of his beloved sister to protect her._

_"Stay here" he told her._

_He ran over the small hills to his mansion. Swinging open the door, he saw bloody footsteps leading to the foyer._

_"MOTHER!"_

_His mothers bloody body lay strewn over a chair, she was not yet dead as her chest heaved up and down heavily drawing in strained breaths, but she was nearing it._

_"S-senri…take..your..sister..and..run..NOW"_

_An evil laughter was heard from behind_

_"Do you think I'd make it that easy Sayaka? I asked for the boy politely, but this is what you get when you refuse"_

_"f-father?"_

_Rido Kuran stood behind them, his crimson eye particularly contrasting his blue one._

_"You…are..NOT..taking..my..children..as..pawns in..your…war Rido!" she screamed haggardly._

_Rido smirked and merely replied with an arrogance implied in his voice,_

_"All I am doing is taking him and training him a little to take out those that need to be taken out. Nobody needs a monarchy to run this system Sayaka. Think of it as a charity, Senri is merely doing_

_charity work for the rest of us vampires."_

_Rido began to advance toward the little boy, but he was a defiant one as he glared straight up at his father_

_"You killed mother. Why would I go with you?! You aren't my father! You aren't my father!!"_

_"Impertinent boy. You're too much like your mother."_

_"Onii-sama?"_

_the little girl had just entered the foyer, fear evident in her azure eyes as she trudged closer_

_"Rima! Run away! I told you not to follow me! GO!" Senri yelled._

_Rido smiled cruelly recognizing a new opportunity._

_"Come here little girl"_

_"NO! DON'T GO TO HIM"_

_But Rido was a powerful vampire and with his eyes alone he hypnotized the poor girl to stumble straight into his arms_

_"Now, I do believe this should persuade you. Come with me, or else..something interesting might happen to this little girl" he smiled as he twirled Rima's hair in his fingers._

_Shiki hesitated but he knew he had no choice_

_"leave her alone and I'll come with you. She has nothing to do with this"_

_"au contraire" Rido said with a knowing smile_

_"Senri!"_

_the little girl, now kneeling in a puddle of her mothers blood was crying not wanting to be separated from her brother but even she knew it was inevitable_

_"I'll come back for you!" Shiki yelled getting dragged away by Rido. Rima's hands grasped for her brother, but she never quite reached him_

_"I'll come back for you! I promise"_

_And just like that, he was gone._

_There she sat, kneeling and all of a sudden she felt very cold and alone._

_She was sobbing uncontrollably holding her dead mothers hand. Suddenly a bright light shone before her as an elegant looking woman appeared before her._

_She had long silver hair and wore white flowing robes. She reached a hand out as if to touch Rima, and in response Rima shielded herself and cowered afraid of the strange womans touch._

_"I won't hurt you"_

_Her voice were like bells, soft and gentle. She laid her smooth white hand upon Rima's golden hair as a shimmering light shone between the spaces._

_"Rima, someday you will understand. I do this for all of us. The monarchy must not be defeated by Rido Kuran or else you see, the vampire world as we know it will collapse."_

_The little girl, slowly felt her eyelids growing heavy as she drifted into a deep sleep and her surroundings grew dimmer and dimmer and faded into a pitch black._

_Shizuka picked up the unconscious girl whose memory was now wiped clean and carried her away from the tragedy._

_"Poor unfortunate little girl. But vampires were never meant to obtain love, that is the cruel price we pay for beauty, power, and life. It is better not to remember him at all, it is better not to remember_

_the love. I'm sorry I had to use your love as ammunition in this war. I hope someday you will understand why I did what I did"_

__________________________________________________________________________________

Rima flickered her eyes open at last, feeling as if she had woken up from a deep slumber.

Shizuka-sama had known all along whom she was fighting against, whom she was targeted to kill.

The realization began to dawn on her. After all, they were only mere pawns in this chess game. Two tragic pawns who were all this time, looking for one another.

A hot tear ran down her face as she realized the boy on top of her had ceased to breathe. She had killed her love, her brother, with her own hands. Wretched thing.

But she smiled as she knew she was not far behind. Her body writhed in response to the poison which began to take over her veins, but in her mind and heart she could not feel it.

She only felt very weary, and her eyelids grew heavy once more. She knew she should be livid at Rido and most of all Shizuka for using them both in their own twisted war, for tarnishing their love, but

oddly enough she didn't. In the aftermath of it all, she realized vengeance and vendetta's meant nothing now. Her heart was too weary, and now all she really needed was Shiki's warmth.

With her shaking hands she managed to touch Shiki's face, his eyes were closed and he looked peaceful as if he were merely in slumber.

She softly brought her quivering lips to his forehead and gave him a kiss, the only thing she could give him now. And with it, she gave him her utmost gentility, her love and the purities of her heart with

which she never gave him privy. Another tear ran down her face and she heaved one last devastatingly heavy sigh as she realized this was the only time she was ever gentle with him. He was now

only a remnant, like a leaf which fell from the trees in autumn browned and faded, withered and echoed along the streets by the wind, but she didn't care. She loved him more than anything and that

was all.

"Shall we go then? To that place the clouds go, when we've seen the world turn and the seasons change. I'll be the velvet petal. You'll always be the stem."

And when the winds blew that particularly starless night, it blew a gust of dark rose petals raining onto the city. And if one listened closely, laughter could be heard amidst the shower of petals, a girl

and a boy respectively, but of course it was only dismissed as the whisperings of the wind.

**THE END. **

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
A/N  
Hello (and goodbye!) to my faithful readers,  
Thanks sooo much for sticking around all the way up to the end to read Petals of a Black Rose. It was super fun writing this fan fiction and so I feel a little sad that its ended now. I have a feeling that I will get lots of disgruntled shima fans so here are some pre-prepared _**FAQs**_

**Why did Rima not take revenge against Rido/Shizuka?:  
**  
Rima and Shiki's tragic end came as a result of vengeance and vendetta, so I felt it was best to have Rima not take revenge against Rido/Shizuka because then it would just be a tireless cycle of hatred. In fact, her not taking revenge has a lot to do with the metaphor of the title/theme of the story. The irony lies in the fact that she mentions petals are soft and gentle, but that is the complete opposite of what she really was in the story: a stone cold killer. In fact she was more of the "thorny" type (thorns in the stem) but once she transitions back into the gentle person she was previous to her mothers murder, she promises Shiki in the next life she will be the gentle petal.

**Are you going to make an alternative happy ending?**

I thought about it at first, but after having written this out, I've decided that I will not. Because I think this ending was more suited to the story and has more of an impact then the typical cookie-cutter rainbows and sunshine happy ending. And frankly my long term stories will probably never be happy ending ones. If you want fluff you can take a look at my oneshots.

If you have any further questions don't hesitate to ask! =D  
and of course reviews and comments are always welcome.

Yours truly for the last time (for this story anyway),  
_**LaDolceVita**_


End file.
